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vulgar

[ vuhl-ger ]
/ ˈvʌl gər /
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See synonyms for: vulgar / vulgarly / vulgarness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun
Archaic. the common people.
Obsolete. the vernacular.
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Origin of vulgar

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin vulgāris, equivalent to vulg(us) the general public + -āris-ar1

synonym study for vulgar

1. See common.

usage note for vulgar

Terms that are labeled Vulgar in this dictionary are considered inappropriate in many circumstances because of their association with a taboo subject. Major taboo subjects in English-speaking countries are sex and excretion and the parts of the body associated with those functions.

OTHER WORDS FROM vulgar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vulgar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vulgar

vulgar
/ (ˈvʌlɡə) /

adjective
marked by lack of taste, culture, delicacy, manners, etcvulgar behaviour; vulgar language
(often capital; usually prenominal) denoting a form of a language, esp of Latin, current among common people, esp at a period when the formal language is archaic and not in general spoken use
archaic
  1. of, relating to, or current among the great mass of common people, in contrast to the educated, cultured, or privileged; ordinary
  2. (as collective noun; preceded by the)the vulgar

Derived forms of vulgar

vulgarly, adverb

Word Origin for vulgar

C14: from Latin vulgāris belonging to the multitude, from vulgus the common people
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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